UPSC QUIZ 15.02.2024

Explanation:

• Parliament approved the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Amendment Bill, 2024 with the aim of rationalizing minor offenses related to water pollution.
• The Bill amends the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974.
• It proposes to decriminalize (instead, impose fines on) many "minor" violations related to water pollution, enabling the Center to determine the service conditions of chairpersons of State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs).
• Also, some categories of industrial units are to be exempted from statutory restrictions. Initially this bill will be applicable in Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Union Territories. Other states can pass resolutions to implement it in their states.

Explanation:

• Finance Minister announced the launch of a new scheme to strengthen deep-tech capabilities in the defense sector.
• Deep Tech is advanced technology based on significant scientific or engineering innovation. It is also called advanced technology.
• It includes areas like artificial intelligence, quantum computing, blockchain, robotics and biotechnology.
• Deep tech involves innovative innovations. Blockchain, Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, Computer Imaging etc. can be included in Deep Tech.

Explanation:

• In a recent meeting held in New Delhi, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) approved various amendments aimed at simplifying food safety regulations and promoting ease of doing business.FSSAI will issue a draft notification in this regard and will seek stakeholders’ comments before finalising the amendments.

Proposed Amendments in Food Safety and Standard Regulations

Elimination of Multiple Certifications

• The amendments aim to abolish the requirement for certification from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and Agricultural Marketing (AGMARK) certification for food products.
• Instead, only certification from the FSSAI would be mandatory if these changes are finalised.

Explanation:

• Two FinTech startups, Juspay and Decentro, received the license to operate as payment aggregators.
• Juspay serves as a payment gateway, running the technology stack for e-commerce payments.
• Decentro is a technology company that enables e-commerce and other consumer-facing players to provide financial services like lending, KYC, and other services.
• On February 2, Zoho, a software-as-a-service startup, also got a payment aggregator license.
• Zoho is the first enterprise Saas company to get payment aggregator approval from RBI.
• In March 2020, RBI had issued the first guidelines on payment aggregator licenses.
• In December 2023, Razorpay, Cashfree, and Open Financial were the first group of players to get regulatory approval.
• Zomato, DigiO, Google, and Tata Digital are other major players to get the payments license.

Explanation:

• L. Subramaniam and Kavita Krishnamurti Subramaniam presented the prestigious Lakshminarayana International Award to Pyarelal Sharma at the Lakshminarayana Global Music Festival.
• Pyarelal Sharma is one of the most successful music composers in Hindi cinema.
• He has composed music for many evergreen songs during his eight-decade career.
• Recently, Pyarelal was announced as a recipient of the Padma Bhushan, India’s third-highest civilian honour.
• The President of India, K. R Narayanan awarded the first Lakshminarayana International Award to Lord Yehudi Menuhin.
• The Lakshminarayana Global Music Festival (LGMF) was started by Dr. L. Subramaniam in 1992.